Tag: Book of Mormon

Blessed Are the Peacemakers, For They Shall Be Called the Children of God

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same gospel principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the seventh of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. (3 Nephi 12:9)

Questions:

  • Is peace one of the main results created in the world by those who Christ calls His children?

Blessed Are All the Pure in Heart, For They Shall See God

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same gospel principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the sixth of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

“And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (3 Nephi 12:8)

Questions:

-What is the relationship between having a pure heart and seeing God?

-Does this apply to one’s heavenly destination as well as to one’s ability to see God’s beauty in this mortal life?

Blessed Are the Merciful, For They Shall Obtain Mercy

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same gospel principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the fifth of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

“And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (3 Nephi 12:7)

Questions:

-Is it possible for a person to be both merciful and just in their actions? Or, does insisting on justice always downplay mercy and vice versa?

Blessed Are They Who Do Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness, For They Shall be Filled with the Holy Ghost

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same gospel principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the fourth of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

“And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” (3 Nephi 12:6)

Questions:

-Is hungering and thirsting after “righteousness” as defined by one’s culture different from hungering and thirsting after God’s righteousness?

-Is it possible to find true righteousness, and to be truly spiritually filled, without the influence of the Holy Ghost?

Teachings of Latter-day Prophets, Seers, and Revelators

“…A visitation of an angel…would not leave the impression and would not convince us and place within us that something which we cannot get away from which we receive through a manifestation of the Holy Ghost. Personal visitations might become dim as time goes on, but this guidance of the Holy Ghost is renewed and continued, day after day, year after year, if we live to be worthy of it (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:44).

Blessed are the Meek, For They Shall Inherit the Earth

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the third of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

“And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (3 Nephi 12:5)

Questions:

-How much of the pain and suffering in the interpersonal affairs of humanity is caused by those who are the opposite of meek (god-despising, unprincipled, prideful, arrogant, impatient, dismissive of gospel teachings)?

-Will any of the above (who don’t repent) be a part of the beautiful society that will exist upon the Earth after it is celestialized?

Blessed Are They That Mourn, For They Shall Be Comforted

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the second of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

“And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (3 Nephi 12:4)

Questions:

-Do the pains and disappointments of this life provide the context in which the joys and blessings of heaven are deeply appreciated and valued (for eternity)?

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit Who Come unto Me

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the first of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.  

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)

“Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (3 Nephi 12:3)

Questions:

-Why would God inspire Joseph Smith to interpret the Beatitudes – as taught by Christ to Lehi’s descendants in the Americas — in language very similar to the King James version of the Bible?

-Do you feel the phrase, “who come unto me,” is an inspired addition to what is found in Matthew.

-What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

-Is it possible to truly come unto Christ if one is not poor in spirit?

Satan Goes About Spreading Rumors and Contentions That He Might Harden the Hearts of the People

~ Richard Rowley

The Book of Mormon gives insight into how Satan works to destroy civilizations and societies.

“…The people [did] imagine up in their hearts [many] things which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good…” (Helaman 16:22)

Questions:

-How much of what people believe is based on rumors?

-Do the main players in the news media of the United States align themselves with the truth? Or, are they more focused on ratings and political expedients?

-Have many aligned their hearts with things that are untrue, foolish, and vain?

-How much unnecessary contention is occurring because hearts are connected to rumors and falsehoods.

The Devil Will Not Support His Children

~ Richard Rowley

Mormon, the prophet who compiled and abridged the record of the Nephites (which was translated as the Book of Mormon), pauses to teach an important truth about Satan.

“…The devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.” (Alma 30:60)

Questions:

-Is it possible to gain power and gratify the lusts of the flesh in this life by being a child of the devil (e.g. rejecting God’s commandments and applying selfish, calloused, and ungodly means to obtain one’s desires)?

*Does Satan goad souls to take this route because he enjoys seeing the selfish pleasure they obtain for a season?

*Or, does he do so because he relishes the awful depths of eternal remorse and pain that they will sink into when, after being brought into God’s presence for judgment, they come to a full and agonizing realization of the consequences of what they have done.

How Great the Inequality of Man

~ Richard Rowley

During a large war between the Nephites and Lamanites, many souls departed from mortal life. In the context of these events, Mormon (the prophet-historian who abridged the Nephite record that was translated as the Book of Mormon), teaches about the great spiritual variance that exists when souls pass through the veil into the eternities.

“…Many thousand are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo. While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness. And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.” (Alma 28:11-13)

Questions:

-How important is it to repent and reconcile oneself with God (through the Atonement of Jesus Christ) before passing into the eternities?

-How heavily will the unalterable justice, which God upholds, weigh on those in the afterlife who chose not to be reconciled with God through Christ’s merciful intervention during mortality?

-What is Paradise?

-What is Spirit Prison?

-Will those who never had God’s law in mortality be led to Paradise if they choose to follow Christ in the afterlife?